Merisa Sherman knows it's not you. It's the ski.
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Merisa Sherman is a self-described ski bum, and she means that with full conviction. Her life is organized around snow, chairlifts, and the quiet calculation of how many laps you can squeeze in on a workday or a weekend. She knows better than to start a workday with early laps because she might not leave.
Coaching kids, skiing trees, touring into the woods, charging groomers, hanging at the bar once the chairs stop spinning—it all counts. Skiing isn’t a part of her life. It is the structure.
So when we asked Merisa to design a ski for the ripping female skier, aka herself, her approach was thoroughly personal.
Her first Parlor design, the Female Ski Bum Pro, was built to handle the full spectrum of East Coast skiing without asking the skier to overpower it. It’s directional, energetic, stable on Vermont hardpack, and quick through narrow, twisting trails—an all-mountain ski that can cruise with the kids and still feel confident dropping into Superstar when it’s time to turn things up.
One Became Two. Now It’s a Quiver.
Like a lot of skiers who truly live on snow, Merisa didn’t want one ski that tried to do everything. She has a quiver where each of her skis has a clear job.
Her second Parlor build came this year, a touring ski, shaped by years in the woods and a clear idea of what she wanted to keep from the Pro and what needed to change for the backcountry. The feel, the balance, the confidence underfoot — that stayed. The construction, materials and measurements shifted to better suit long days on ungroomed snow.
Merisa worked directly with Mark Wallace to hammer out the details, dialing in the right construction and profile. The result wasn’t a compromise. It was a ski with intent.
And then there were the graphics...
Lavender, Punk Rock Pink, and Letting Go of Frontside Rage
The Female Ski Bum Pro wears a calm, soothing lavender topsheet—and that was no accident. After a racing background and years of intensity, Merisa wanted a reminder to chill out. To ski with feel instead of force. To let go of frontside rage and enjoy the ride.
The touring ski didn’t need that reminder.
Out in the woods, the quiet already exists. So instead, Merisa went the opposite direction: punk-rock pink. Louder. More aggressive. A visual nudge to push a little harder when the terrain calls for it.
Every Parlor ski tells a story, and these graphics say it all. Context matters, and the right ski should match the mindset you bring to the day.
Custom Skis, Jeans Shopping, and Why Women Deserve Better
When the conversation turned to custom fitting, Merisa didn’t hesitate: women deserve custom skis, and it’s wild how many still think they don’t.
Too often, women internalize bad ski performance as a personal failure. Not strong enough. Not technical enough. Not aggressive enough. Merisa wants that mindset gone.
Her advice is simple: start with a ski you really like. Figure out what works. Then focus on what pisses you off.
Maybe the tail catches on everything.
Maybe there’s so much rocker you can’t feel the front of the ski.
Maybe it just never quite does what you want it to do.
That’s the data.
Custom fitting isn’t necessarily about being an expert skier. It’s about being honest. Any age. Any terrain preference. Any pace. The goal is confidence, fun, and a ski that works with you instead of against you.
Merisa compares it to shopping for jeans—the pain is real, but when you finally find the pair that fits, everything changes. You stop blaming yourself and start enjoying the day.
Pom Poms, Tree Skiing, and the Next Generation
When she’s not skiing on her own, Merisa spends much of the season coaching 5- and 6-year-olds in Killington’s Future Stars program. Her group calls themselves the Pom Poms, inspired by her signature pom-pom hat. They make noise, they have fun, and they ski as hard as any kindergartener can.
The mission is simple: independence, confidence, and joy on all terrain. Especially finding the side hits and following the “fun signs” that lead into the woods, because these girlies do not know how to read yet. Yes, they spend a lot of time in the trees.
Learning early that skiing is about curiosity, movement, and confidence, not just groomers, shapes how kids ski for the rest of their lives.
Community, Cameras, and Ski Friends You Haven’t Met Yet
Merisa was linked up with another Parlor favorite, Jeb Wallace-Brodeur, for a day of shooting in her happiest place—the mountains. The day was equal parts skiing, laughing, and capturing what happens when someone is exactly where they belong.
She’s quick to point out that the ski community doesn’t stop at the chairlift. Instagram has created an extended circle of skier friends, people who may not ski together often, or ever, but share the same obsession, conditions reports, and mutual stoke.
It all counts.
Après, Swag, and a 90s Revival We Can Get Behind
Merisa’s ideal après is straightforward:
Favorite après drink: Jack on the rocks
Favorite post-ski activity: listening to her boyfriend play drums
Favorite pocket snack: a Vermont-made Garuka Bar, dipped in fresh snow
And one last note for Parlor?
Better women’s swag. Real-world stuff. Pieces you want to throw on when the lifts close and the band starts playing. V-neck tees over waffle long sleeves. Thin, old-school hoodies that won't make you sweat in the bar. Comfortable, unfussy, a little 90s.
Good news, Merisa—the 90s are back. And we’re on it.
Coaching kids, skiing trees, touring into the woods, charging groomers, hanging at the bar once the chairs stop spinning—it all counts. Skiing isn’t a part of her life. It is the structure.
So when we asked Merisa to design a ski for the ripping female skier, aka herself, her approach was thoroughly personal.
Her first Parlor design, the Female Ski Bum Pro, was built to handle the full spectrum of East Coast skiing without asking the skier to overpower it. It’s directional, energetic, stable on Vermont hardpack, and quick through narrow, twisting trails—an all-mountain ski that can cruise with the kids and still feel confident dropping into Superstar when it’s time to turn things up.
One Became Two. Now It’s a Quiver.
Like a lot of skiers who truly live on snow, Merisa didn’t want one ski that tried to do everything. She has a quiver where each of her skis has a clear job.
Her second Parlor build came this year, a touring ski, shaped by years in the woods and a clear idea of what she wanted to keep from the Pro and what needed to change for the backcountry. The feel, the balance, the confidence underfoot — that stayed. The construction, materials and measurements shifted to better suit long days on ungroomed snow.
Merisa worked directly with Mark Wallace to hammer out the details, dialing in the right construction and profile. The result wasn’t a compromise. It was a ski with intent.
And then there were the graphics...
Lavender, Punk Rock Pink, and Letting Go of Frontside Rage
The Female Ski Bum Pro wears a calm, soothing lavender topsheet—and that was no accident. After a racing background and years of intensity, Merisa wanted a reminder to chill out. To ski with feel instead of force. To let go of frontside rage and enjoy the ride.
The touring ski didn’t need that reminder.
Out in the woods, the quiet already exists. So instead, Merisa went the opposite direction: punk-rock pink. Louder. More aggressive. A visual nudge to push a little harder when the terrain calls for it.
Every Parlor ski tells a story, and these graphics say it all. Context matters, and the right ski should match the mindset you bring to the day.
Custom Skis, Jeans Shopping, and Why Women Deserve Better
When the conversation turned to custom fitting, Merisa didn’t hesitate: women deserve custom skis, and it’s wild how many still think they don’t.
Too often, women internalize bad ski performance as a personal failure. Not strong enough. Not technical enough. Not aggressive enough. Merisa wants that mindset gone.
Her advice is simple: start with a ski you really like. Figure out what works. Then focus on what pisses you off.
Maybe the tail catches on everything.
Maybe there’s so much rocker you can’t feel the front of the ski.
Maybe it just never quite does what you want it to do.
That’s the data.
Custom fitting isn’t necessarily about being an expert skier. It’s about being honest. Any age. Any terrain preference. Any pace. The goal is confidence, fun, and a ski that works with you instead of against you.
Merisa compares it to shopping for jeans—the pain is real, but when you finally find the pair that fits, everything changes. You stop blaming yourself and start enjoying the day.
Pom Poms, Tree Skiing, and the Next Generation
When she’s not skiing on her own, Merisa spends much of the season coaching 5- and 6-year-olds in Killington’s Future Stars program. Her group calls themselves the Pom Poms, inspired by her signature pom-pom hat. They make noise, they have fun, and they ski as hard as any kindergartener can.
The mission is simple: independence, confidence, and joy on all terrain. Especially finding the side hits and following the “fun signs” that lead into the woods, because these girlies do not know how to read yet. Yes, they spend a lot of time in the trees.
Learning early that skiing is about curiosity, movement, and confidence, not just groomers, shapes how kids ski for the rest of their lives.
Community, Cameras, and Ski Friends You Haven’t Met Yet
Merisa was linked up with another Parlor favorite, Jeb Wallace-Brodeur, for a day of shooting in her happiest place—the mountains. The day was equal parts skiing, laughing, and capturing what happens when someone is exactly where they belong.
She’s quick to point out that the ski community doesn’t stop at the chairlift. Instagram has created an extended circle of skier friends, people who may not ski together often, or ever, but share the same obsession, conditions reports, and mutual stoke.
It all counts.
Après, Swag, and a 90s Revival We Can Get Behind
Merisa’s ideal après is straightforward:
Favorite après drink: Jack on the rocks
Favorite post-ski activity: listening to her boyfriend play drums
Favorite pocket snack: a Vermont-made Garuka Bar, dipped in fresh snow
And one last note for Parlor?
Better women’s swag. Real-world stuff. Pieces you want to throw on when the lifts close and the band starts playing. V-neck tees over waffle long sleeves. Thin, old-school hoodies that won't make you sweat in the bar. Comfortable, unfussy, a little 90s.
Good news, Merisa—the 90s are back. And we’re on it.
